The Danger In Your Spice Cabinet

If you've spent any time in the kitchen (or even at the dinner table), it's hard to imagine a meal prepared without that dash of oregano, a dollop of curry, or a sprinkle of cinnamon. But there's a little-known dark side to the spice cabinet: The ubiquitous seasonings in our food can also make us sick.

Spice allergies are responsible for around 2% of food allergies among Americans, according to a new presentation from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's (ACAAI) annual scientific meeting. Even worse, these allergies are probably widely under-diagnosed, says presentation author Sami Bahna, MD, past president of ACAAI and chief of allergy and immunology at Louisiana State University's Health Sciences Center.

“When a person has an allergic reaction, we tend to suspect the main ingredient in the food, rather than what's seasoning it,” he says. “Spices are so common, but they're often not listed on product labels, which makes diagnosing these allergies even harder.”

Any spice can trigger an allergy, but common food culprits include cinnamon, garlic or any hot, spicy seasoning. Women are especially prone to developing a spice allergy, Dr. Bahna says, because we tend to use more cosmetic products, like hairspray and perfume, that rely on seasonings for fragrance. In other words, more exposure makes our immune systems more vulnerable.

Spice allergies can often be relatively benign, with symptoms like sneezing, hives or itching. But they can also be deadly: In rare instances, a spice can actually trigger anaphylactic shock.

So is your favorite jar of five-spice also a health hazard? Figuring it out requires some serious detective work, says Dr. Bahna, because specialists don't have blood or skin tests to diagnose most spice allergies.

“If someone suspects spice allergy, we have to determine what food gives them the reaction, and then deconstruct everything that goes into it,” he says. From there, doctors typically perform “challenge tests”—introducing spices individually to determine which one causes problems.

The good news? If that hot sauce on your morning eggs isn't triggering symptoms, there's no reason to avoid it. But for patients who are diagnosed with an allergy, avoiding the spice in question is the sole solution, says Dr. Bahna. “Unfortunately, they'll just have to steer clear of the foods or products,” he says. “Spices are so common, that's not always an easy task.”